Snow Kissed (Shelter Springs #3)

Chapter One

“ ONE OF THESE DAYS, YOU NEED TO LEARN HOW TO SAY THE word no .”

Holly Moore sighed as her twin sister’s words seemed to ring through her little florist shop, resounding with truth.

Hannah was almost always right. Her sister was one of the smartest women she knew and Holly couldn’t disagree with her about this. She had a problem with trying to please everyone and she did need to learn how to say no.

Most of the time, anyway.

“I can’t. Not in this case.”

“Your former sister-in-law will survive if she doesn’t have Lydia as her flower girl. She can find someone else. I’m sure there will be plenty of people who don’t think she should do it anyway.”

Holly fought a sharp ache at the words, even as she didn’t necessarily agree with her sister’s harsh words.

Her ex-husband’s family loved Lydia and did their best to embrace and include her.

She couldn’t deny that there were plenty of other people in society who would prefer her daughter and others with similar developmental disabilities stayed in the background, where their presence wouldn’t make anyone uncomfortable.

“Kristine is a fantastic aunt to Lydia. They have a close relationship. It might not be as close as the one you have with Lydia, but Kris tries hard to be inclusive. Which is why I can’t refuse.”

Holly tucked a few more stems of greenery into the arrangement she was working on. “Unfortunately, all the plans have been made,” she went on. “Kristine has already talked to Lydia about it and showed her the dress she bought for her to wear. There’s no turning back now.”

Hannah frowned. “She should have asked you first before talking to Lydia.”

“You can’t unscatter dandelion fluff. It’s done now.

Lydia is all excited, even though she doesn’t have any idea what being a flower girl involves.

I mean, the dress is gorgeous. Velvet, red, with a little white faux-fur collar.

You and I would have loved to own a dress like that when we were flower-girl age. ”

“I suppose you can’t break her heart.” Hannah gave her a sympathetic look. “If our Lydi wants to be a flower girl, she won’t easily budge. That girl is as stubborn as a mule on a mountain trail.”

“You don’t have to tell me.”

Her daughter might only be five but Lydia had amply demonstrated her iron will in that handful of years. She had learned to walk before any of the doctors and specialists expected it, she had basically potty trained herself, she could write her name and she could pick out sight words.

Most of the time, her determination filled Holly with pride.

With all of her daughter’s challenges, Lydia would need to be fierce as she confronted the world.

But in certain circumstances, it could be tough for a mother with her child’s best interests at heart to convince that child something she wanted might not be the best thing for her.

Being Lydia’s mother was a complete joy most of the time. Still, pitting her own will against that of a determined five-year-old girl who didn’t always understand subtext or subtle nuances of meaning could sometimes be exhausting.

Any five-year-old would probably be the same.

“Don’t listen to me. I’m sure everything will be fine,” Hannah assured her. “Lydia will have a great time and look fabulous in her red velvet dress with the fake-fur collar. And I have no doubt the flowers you’re doing for the wedding will be amazing, as always.”

The thought of it all, along with everything else she had to do this month, left Holly exhausted.

Her sister was absolutely right. She needed to learn how to say no.

She should never have agreed to provide the floral decorations for her former sister-in-law’s upcoming wedding and reception, especially when she’d already had two weddings booked for the month of December before Kristine and Matt decided on a holiday ceremony.

Beyond her wedding responsibilities, December was one of her busiest months of the year, when people loved to buy wreaths, flowers for hostess gifts or centerpieces for their holiday decorations.

If she managed to get any sleep this month, it would be a true holiday miracle.

“I’ll help you,” Hannah assured her. “You know I’m here to do anything you need. And all of us can pitch in to help you with Lydia. Mom and Dad love having her and I’m sure we could talk the boys into helping, too.”

The boys were their older brothers, Asher and Micah Goodwin, who also were helpless to resist Lydia when she put her mind to something.

Her daughter was beloved by nearly everyone she met, which left Holly deeply grateful.

Impulsively, she leaned over and hugged her sister, careful not to poke her with the stems of the white heath aster in her hand that she was using to fill in between the pink gerbera daisies and baby roses.

“I know. Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done the past two years without all of you.”

Since her divorce, her family had rallied around her, helping her take over her aunt’s florist shop, move into Rose Cottage, raise a special-needs child. She would have been lost without them.

Hannah hugged her in return. “We’ve got you,” she assured her. She stepped away and looked at the elaborate arrangement. “This is really pretty. Who is the mom? Anyone I know?”

Holly stuck in the spray of aster before looking at the name on the order form. “Dana Harris. I don’t know her. Do you?”

There was a time when she had been certain she knew every single person in their small Idaho town of Shelter Springs.

Hannah frowned. “Never heard of her. What’s her husband’s name?”

She looked at the form again. “I don’t know. I didn’t have a chance to speak with him. Ginger took the order before she left to make deliveries. She didn’t write his name down, only the words hot dad .”

Hannah laughed. “Well, that’s super helpful. Sounds like our Ginger.”

“Right?”

Ginger Martineau, one of four staff members at Evergreen & Ivy, might be scattered and easily distracted but she was also creative, loyal and hardworking. More importantly, her sunny attitude and whimsical sense of humor made Holly laugh in a world that sometimes didn’t feel all that funny.

Holly and her sister were chatting about Hannah’s work as a music therapist when the bells on her front door chimed and in walked the most gorgeous man Holly had ever seen in real life.

He was tall, muscular, with a hard jawline, short dark hair and stunning green eyes.

She was aware of a completely inappropriate flutter of awareness.

This must be the hot dad who had ordered the new baby flower arrangement, though how Ginger had managed to deduce he was gorgeous simply over the phone, Holly had no idea.

She did know she had never seen this man before in her life or she absolutely would have remembered him.

He looked around at her shop, bedecked for the holidays with three live trees, garlands, wreaths and fairy lights.

Somehow the inherently feminine surroundings, flowery and cheerful, only served to make him look more gorgeously masculine in contrast.

She gave him a bright smile. “Hi. You’re right on time! I just finished your order. Congratulations!”

She walked around the corner of the worktable holding out the lush arrangement in a pink container shaped like a large building block with the words It’s a Girl on the front.

He looked at it as if she had held out a live barracuda.

“Um, what’s this?”

She tried not to bristle at his blatant rejection of something she had considered lovely, perfect for the situation.

“This is what you wanted for your wife, who just had a baby girl this morning. Congratulations again. The holidays are such a fun time to have a new baby. You must be so thrilled. What’s her name?”

“I think there’s been some kind of mistake.”

She gazed down at her lovely creation then back at him, dismayed. “Oh no. Was it a boy? I’m so sorry.”

She seriously needed to have a long chat with Ginger about paying more attention to details. This wasn’t the first order the other woman had typed wrong into the system. Or even the first one this week.

“Don’t worry at all. I can change it. Give me five minutes. I’ve got some pale blue roses and some yellow aster that came in this morning. I can swap them out. And we can put everything in a different container.”

She hurried back behind her counter but before she could start undoing all her hard work, he followed her.

“No. I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I don’t have a wife. Or, God forbid, a newborn baby, girl or boy.”

Good heavens. How many hot strangers had moved into town when she wasn’t looking? And why did they all suddenly need flowers?

She winced. “I’m sorry. I jumped to conclusions. I assumed you were here to pick this up. How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for my niece. I was told to meet her here.”

“Your niece?” Holly exchanged a look with her sister, who had been following the interchange with interest. “Why would she be here?”

He shrugged, wide shoulders rippling inside his black jacket. “I have no idea. I only know she texted me and said she was picking up somebody named Lydia and would meet me here.”

All the pieces suddenly clicked into place. “Oh! You’re talking about Audrey! You must be Audrey’s uncle. Ryan, isn’t it? I had no idea you were coming today. Audrey didn’t mention it. In fact, Kim said you wouldn’t be able to make it to town until next week.”

“I was able to rearrange some things back in San Diego. I texted Audrey this morning to tell her I was on my way.”

Why hadn’t Kim ever mentioned that her brother looked like he should be on the cover of some sexy military guy calendar?

“You’re Kim’s little brother?”

He turned his attention to Hannah when she spoke and Holly could see him do a double-take.

As for Hannah, she looked at him with an appreciative look that left Holly feeling oddly territorial, like when they were kids and Hannah wanted to play with one of Holly’s brand-new toys.

“Yes. Hi. Ryan Caldwell. You’re twins.”

“Have been all our lives. I’m Hannah Goodwin.”